My sincere apologies for the delay on producing this chapter, I hope I am forgiven...please enjoy. Side note if anyone thinks Draco is a little too kind and gentle and unlike the book wait for the next one, I promise he'll seem a little more familiar
Books began rapidly flying from the shelves in the Malfoy library. Each one landing neatly in a pile near Hermione's focused form. She quickly scanned each passage whenever a new book appeared before her; looking for the specific mentioning. At lunch Draco had unknowingly given her a brilliant idea, she just needed confirmation that it was even a possibility. Not finding anything useful in the current one she'd been reading she closed the leather binding put it to the side. Leaning forward, she attempted to reach for a different manuscript when a large black book dropped itself onto her crossed legs, the sudden weight bringing her back to the present and out of her wondering mind.
"Oh" she whispered out loud to herself. Straightening her hunched back she took in her surroundings. Draco was still occupying the space by the door where she'd left him thirty minutes prior and was currently watching her with a combined look of confusion and awe. "Mind filling me in in what you're looking for?" He asked, finally taking his first steps into the large room. Throwing her head back she groaned loudly, "you wouldn't happen to have some deep understanding of how wards work would you?"
"Um," he responded scratching his head and causing his shaggy hair to become jostled, "I'd have to look into it a bit more but, the overall concept is to keep those unwanted out by using concealment...are wards helpful to the Longbottoms?" he asked, taking a seat next to her on the floor. Turning to face him she felt her excitement rising anew. She and Draco were liked minded individuals, she would only need to provide him with a few key words he would be able to pick up on her train of thought. She didn't need to dumb herself down just to make sure he was on the same page as she, she could speak plainly and openly with him and without reserve. Gripping his arm tightly she opened her mouth to explain but paused when felt a slight sting of guilt at being so comfortable around her once enemy; she knew one or two of her friends who would not be pleased with the new development.
Shaking the feeling free from present thought she tried again. "I think they might be. It's rather difficult to find the original working of the wards charm but I think understanding that could help us. Now think, what happens when a muggle happens upon an a Wizarding area hidden by a ward."
"They are suddenly reminded of needing to be elsewhere." He responded, "EXACTLY!" she squealed "we change their minds. The wards create an urge to leave the area. An idea is put into the muggle's mind, the urgency to leave whatever area they happened upon and be elsewhere...don't you see?"
Still gripping Draco's arm Hermione watched as realization washed over Draco contorted his expression to one the matched her own. She watched as he brought both hands up to incase either side of her face. Laughing loudly he shook her slightly, "you're absolutely brilliant!" Pulling her closer she watched as grey eyes shut and she felt a tug on her bottom lip. His mouth engulfed her own, his familiar tongue explored the length of hers. Stroking and sucking until a cloud began to form in her mind.
She threw her arms around Draco in an attempt to bring him closer. Craving, needing, thriving on every stroke of his bold tongue. Draco's hands moved downward from her head to the buttons restraining her blouse. She could feel each one being freed allowing the coolness of his steady hands to graze against the softness of her chest. With a quickness the top was disgarded and she felt Draco move to remove her bra.
"Wait," A voice in her head shouted loudly. She immediately saw flashes of Ron in her mind, moments they'd shared; things they'd gone and worked through together. She wanted this moment with the man in front of her but not in this way. She wanted to be free to take what was being offered to her; so she pulled away. "Stop," she panted " I can't do this...I...Ron...I can't"
Moving back she put distance between herself and Draco; grey met brown as both their chest heaved. Neither responded or moved from the panic positions they'd taken. They both silently watched the other before Hermione thought to cover herself. Locating her crisp top she put both arms through and relooped the buttons through the small slits. "I'm sorry I just can't." She started before Draco put up a long pale hand to silence her.
"Please don't worry about it. I understand, truly I do. I don't like it but I want you to see a better me so I promise from here on out I will behave." He said smilingly causing her to smile in return. "Alright come on now, get over here and let's see if we can find out wards plant ideas in muggles mind and somehow recreate that." Crawling back over to where Draco sat she pulled a random book from the pile she'd created earlier and began reading. She felt Draco's eyes on her causing her face to flush, before she could question his gawking he turned from her and began reading from a different book.
Hours passed and conversations flowed between the two of them with neither of them getting closer to finding the answers they both sought. The houseelf Draco had referred to as Grub entered the library at one point struggling to carry a large tray of food for the both of them. "The mistresses has instructed me to bring the master and his friend food for the evening." The plump elf squawked. Draco stood from his spot on the floor to assist the failing elf. "Grub why are you carrying the tray? Clearly it's too large for you on your own." Draco questioned as he sat the the tray down on a nearby table.
"I want the master to see that I am strong and helpful. Grub can do things too." The elf reasoned. Hermione watched as Draco shook his head and laughed at the elf's logic. "Grub you are definitely helpful to me and I thank you, please tell my mother good night for me." Grub seemingly please with Draco's response bowed lowly and exited the room. With his hand out Draco approached her, "we aren't getting anywhere with the books it seems so let's take a break ok?" Nodding her head in agreement Hermione placed her hand in his and let him pull her from the floor. With her hand still clasped in his he lead her to the table where a rather large feast was waiting.
"I assume your mother knows I'm here now...does that mean your father is aware as well?" She asked nervously, they'd never gone into great detail about either of his parents but she felt compelled to do so now. Loading up one of the two plates provided with food she watched as his relaxed face closed into a guarded expression. "I assume whatever my mother knows she has made my father aware as well...sorry I don't mean to be like that, but I honestly don't know. I've seen my father once since I was realized and that was the day he came home from Azkaban. I haven't seen him since. My mother keeps him locked away in West wing of the manor...not that he needs to be locked away or anything like it. He's broken and defeated at the moment and I think my mother is trying to slowly expose him to things he once knew, she's hopeful. But my father was exposed to that place twice, I can't imagine what he's going through right now and I don't want to."
Feeling awkward with where the conversation had now gone Hermione stared down at the food Draco placed before her. "Dont feel obligated to offer you condolences, I know what my mother and father put you through. Hell I know what I put you through. I know you want to talk about this but I hate that every conversation about either of them is a reminder to me about what a shit person I was to you." Feeling the need to defend her curiously Hermione shot her head upward. "No, that wasn't my intention at all. I feel like I could tell you everything and anything in the world. I want you to feel that way with me too. I'm not afraid of the sadness I feel when I talk about my parents being gone now and I want you not to be afraid of the shame. I can think about being tortured in this home and not shudder with fear and I want you to think about it and not become overwhelmed by guilt. I was us to be able to speak freely without being overcome by emotion."
"You're right. Of course you're right, rare is the moment when you're not...that's how we do it!" He shouted suddenly standing. "That's how we change their minds. It's not the memory itself that caused the insanity it's the emotion tied to those memories. The fear. We remove the fear surrounding those moments, we don't stop them from recalling them but we stop them from feeling overcome by fear." Pacing the room now Hermione watched as Draco began processing. "I think a potion would work? Yes! It would be more effective that way...but how to target a single memory?" Stopping he turned to face her, "any ideas?" He asked. In mock contemplation Hermione placed her hand on her check in thought, "well I might have one or two ideas that could help you."